Films are employed in a wide variety of disposable goods, such as diapers, sanitary napkins, adult incontinence garments, bandages, packaging, etc. In this regards, various attempts have been made to incorporate fragrances into films so that they are capable of releasing a desirable odor. For example, fragrances have been added to packaging films and bags to counteract malodor associated with certain applications (e.g., garbage disposal). U.S. Patent Application No. 2003/0204001 to Van Gelder, et al., for example, describes a method for producing a polyethylene or polypropylene film having a fragrance. The film is formed by adding a liquid fragrance to porous pellets of polyethylene or polypropylene, blending the mixture with an odor barrier (e.g., bis-fatty acid amide), and then extruding the blend into pellets to form a “masterbatch.” The masterbatch may subsequently be mixed with a polyethylene or polypropylene polymer at a ratio of 100:1 to 20:1 (ratio of polymer to masterbatch) to form a film. Unfortunately, however, such techniques are overly complex and costly in that they first require the formation of a masterbatch and they also require the use of an odor barrier to prevent premature evaporation of the fragrance.
Attempts have also been made to incorporate additives into films so that the additive is released only upon disintegration of the film. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2005/0186256 to Dihel, et al. describes a film used to deliver a substance (e.g., flavor) that is encapsulated in a water-soluble encapsulant. The encapsulated substance is sprinkled or dusted onto the dissolvable film. Such techniques are, however, problematic in much the same manner as referenced above. For example, the technique first requires that the substance is pre-encapsulated, which adds an unnecessary level of complexity and cost to the manufacturing process.
As such, a need currently exists for an improved technique for incorporating a fragrance into a film.